McAlister's Deli — Restaurant in Columbus

I live in Columbus. My girlfriend and I used to frequent the McAlister's in Elizabethtown, KY, when she used to live there and always had a pleasant experience. She moved back to Columbus (specifically Dublin) last summer, and we were excited to see there was a McAlister's just down the road from her apartment. On our second or third visit, we were told for the first time that we would be charged for extra tortilla chips for the tortilla soup. Strange, as this had never happened, and a little frustrating, but not the end of the world. On 3/7/15, I phoned in an order, picked it up, brought it back home, and noticed my side (mac and cheese) was missing. I called in to voice my disappointment, hoping for some sort of restitution for my inconvenience. I was told that I could come back in and receive the mac and cheese, which I thought was certainly insufficient, as that was what I paid for in the first place, and I was in no way being compensated for my inconvenience. I expressed my displeasure that that was all that was being offered to me, the manager apologized, but still offered nothing further. I then said I wanted a refund. The manager then offered me a free side the next time I visited the store. I explained that I was not sure I would be coming back, due to my frustration with the lack of customer service. I then explained again that I wanted a refund. The manager then said that I would need to travel in. I asked the manager why I couldn't give my credit card information, and be refunded that way. The manager agreed, took down my information, and asked me to wait a moment. Minutes later, she returned and said that there was something wrong with the machine, and she would call me the next day to confirm that my refund had been processed. I never received a follow-up call. Today, I went in to place a take out order, and then ran a quick errand at the next door grocery store. I came back, picked up my order, returned to my girlfriend's apartment, and noticed that AGAIN my side (mac and cheese) was missing. I phoned in and asked to speak to the manager. I explained that this was the second consecutive trip where my side wasn't provided to me. As occurred the last time, the manager asked if I would be returning to pick up the missing side. I said that I would not be, that I was already home and was frustrated that this had occurred once again. She then offered a free side upon my next visit. I explained to her that I had zero intention of returning, and that I wanted a refund. She then asked if I would be returning to the story. I told her that no, I would not be, that I would provide my credit card information. She asked for a minute and called her manager. She returned to the phone and said that, as they had already issued a refund via phone once (which was never confirmed to me), they would not do so again, that I would need to come into the story if I wished to receive a refund. I voiced that I did not feel that this was acceptable, and the manager simply responded "Sorry." She then went on to say that her employee insists that he put the mac and cheese in my to-go bag, with a strong implication that I was lying. I very responded very frustrated that I did not appreciate the implication that I was lying, and she responded that "I am simply relaying the message that my employee delivered to me", without a hint of apology in her voice for her insulting implication. She said that if I wanted to pursue anything further, I would need to call back when her boss returned to the office tomorrow. This is, without question, the worst case of customer service I have ever received. I can live with a side dish being forgotten, mistakes happen, but the accusation of lying about this is incredibly insulting and entirely...

No longer the place I wrote about below. After being a regular for years, I find myself going to McAlister's maybe once every two weeks. The food doesn't seem as good and the new employees definitely aren't. I realize it's difficult to hire people at the moment but it shouldn't be difficult to hire people to work instead of being on their phone while you wait. They don't ask for your order - they either assume or you need to tell them without a promot - but they're quick to ask for a tip. Gone are the days of thank you and please come again; now it's feigned tolerance. I'll be using my remaining points I've accrued over the past four years and then I'll be done. It truly is a shame what this location has been reduced to.

--

Maybe not the cheapest place to have lunch but definitely one of the better alternatives to the fast food joints around here. The salads are always good and I recommend the McAlister's Club Wrap. The Memphian is definitely the way to go if you're hungry. The staff is always friendly and service is always quick, even if it is a little busy sometimes. And don't forget to pick up their signature iced tea. It's almost worth going there simply for that. If you are a frequent diner it is worth installing the app on your phone to earn free drinks or entrees.

Update: The management has changed and imemented changes. Tips are encouraged and asked for at time of payment. Some things are now sold in disposable plastic containers and seem prepackaged. Employees don't come to remove dirty dishes or ask about refills any longer. Not quite the same restaurant...

Friendly service and good sandwiches.

The staff was awesome. They were knowledgeable and attentive. I asked what was better, the Ruben or the French Dip. The lady didn't want to play favorites and said both were good. So my husband and I got both.

I for one loved the Ruben. The meat was moist and the sauerkraut was delicious! It was perfect and I would come back just for that one sandwich. However, the potato salad had too much mayo and not enough mustard for my liking. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't get it again.

The French Dip was just okay. It didn't stand out like the Ruben. The meat wasn't dry but it wasn’t as moist as I would have liked. The bun was perfect but the au jus sauce was also just okay. I like a little tang in my sauce but this stores flavor were lacking. The Mac and cheese was gross. The noodles were way overdone but the cheese was good.

Overall, wonderful service, I could have gotten a better French Dip at Arbys, sides weren't very good, and the Ruben saved this...